Method and system allowing remaining amounts of a hue to be mixed in order to obtain a paint mixture of a determined final color

Abstract

The invention relates to a computer-implemented method for producing a paint of a hue from a stock of hues that is normally not reused, comprising the following steps: - selecting a desired determined color; - searching for a descriptive formula detailing the composition of said hue; - identifying the amounts of the at least two bases required to obtain a determined amount of said paint; - comparing the amounts of the at least two bases required to obtain the determined amount of the hue with data regarding the available base paints and data regarding available hues; - determining a percentage of exactness with which the determined color can be obtained using at least one hue with at least one base and / or at least one second hue to obtain a final color.

Description

[0001] TITLE: METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR MIXING REMAINING QUANTITIES OF TINT TO OBTAIN A PAINT MIXTURE OF A PREDETERMINED FINAL COLOR

[0002] Field of invention

[0003] The invention relates to a method and system for mixing remaining quantities of tint in order to obtain a determined final color.

[0004] According to the present invention, remaining amounts of tint, each of a different color, are mixed together and / or with at least one base to obtain a paint mixture of a determined color desired by a user.

[0005] State of the art

[0006] In the state of the art, a known process makes it possible to obtain a mixture of paints or tints by mixing quantities of different bases. The bases represent the new paints as supplied by the paint manufacturer.

[0007] This known process is used in particular in the automotive industry. Thus, when a user wishes to paint the entire body of a car, or a part of the body of a car, in a specific paint color, the user mixes specific quantities of different bases to obtain a shade that corresponds to the desired color.

[0008] An example of the use of this process concerns businesses such as body shops for motor vehicles. Indeed, within a body shop, the employee must repaint the body of the motor vehicle in question after having carried out the necessary repairs on said motor vehicle. Generally, each motor vehicle has its own color with a color code determined by the manufacturer of the motor vehicle. However, the employee rarely has a paint color identical to the color of the body of the motor vehicle to be repainted. Therefore, the employee must mix different bases in order to find exactly the right paint color corresponding to that of the motor vehicle in question in order to be able to repaint the parts of the bodywork that have undergone repairs.

[0009] In order to obtain the correct shade for the motor vehicle in question, the paint shop employee has a color code catalog listing formulas indicating, for each color code, which bases and what quantity of each base must be mixed to obtain a shade.

[0010] For example, if the motor vehicle is a Peugeot (registered trademark) with a green body, the paint shop employee can, using this catalog, find the formulas detailing the quantities of the different bases to mix to obtain the exact color of the motor vehicle concerned, in this case the green color for the Peugeot (registered trademark) motor vehicle.

[0011] The above-mentioned catalog indicates, for most motor vehicles in circulation, the composition of each color used for the bodywork of these motor vehicles. Thus, the catalog details the different base mixing formulas to be carried out to obtain the specific color.

[0012] In practice, this catalog of formulas is presented in the form of a computerized database and accessible via a computer by means of a user interface. It is possible to connect the computer to a suitable weighing device to prepare the mixture of bases in order to obtain the desired final shade. Indeed, as soon as, in the user interface, the user indicates the desired color code and the quantity of paint required for this same color, said device automatically displays the bases to be mixed as detailed in the computerized database, and this, in the quantity indicated by the user.

[0013] In practice, mixing different quantities of bases in order to obtain a desired final shade is a particularly delicate operation. If we consider, for example, the case of an employee of a paint shop who repaints part of the bodywork of a motor vehicle after repairing the said bodywork, obtaining a specific shade requires a great deal of precision. Indeed, the employee must check, with the naked eye, whether the color obtained after mixing different bases corresponds to the original color of the motor vehicle concerned, in order to ensure that there is no difference visible to the naked eye between the color obtained by mixing and the original color. In the case where the color obtained is not close enough to the original color, the employee must again modify the color obtained by modifying the mixture of bases.The employee must then add new quantities of base to correct the shade of the paint mixture to obtain the desired paint color. The purpose of this operation is to ensure that no difference between the original color and the color obtained for repainting the motor vehicle is detectable to the naked eye.

[0014] In practice, in order to avoid wasting quantities of paint and reduce the associated financial losses, the employee mixes the different paint bases using the aforementioned computerized catalog, to obtain, first of all, a reduced quantity of the desired paint shade. Then, the employee carries out a test to verify the correspondence between the original color of the motor vehicle to be repainted and the color obtained after mixing the different color bases. The employee can proceed in this way iteratively, by modifying the mixture of paint colors and testing the color thus obtained, until he decides that the color obtained is sufficiently close to the original color not to be distinguishable by the naked eye. In this case, the employee can then prepare a paint mixture corresponding to the color finally obtained and in a quantity sufficient to repaint the bodywork surface concerned.

[0015] As a general rule, before undertaking painting work on the bodywork of a motor vehicle, it is difficult to determine precisely the quantity of paint required to paint a specific surface of the bodywork. Thus, in practice, after painting work has been completed, the body shop employee often has a quantity of unused paint. This remaining quantity of paint is usually kept inside containers that remain in the paint shop. Said containers are listed and identified by indicating the registration number of the motor vehicle for which this paint was prepared. Thus, the paint shop employee has a stock of a certain quantity of paints obtained after mixing and adapted for specific motor vehicles. It is obvious that after a certain period of time, the paint shop has a large reserve of leftover paints.Since each color has been prepared for a specific motor vehicle, this color is not directly reusable on another motor vehicle, since a paint shop generally handles a wide variety of vehicles of different colors.

[0016] Recently, the paint industry has put forward several obvious reasons to encourage the use of leftover paint. First, it should be noted that the paint components themselves pose a threat to the environment. Therefore, it is prohibited to dump leftover paint into the environment. Second, the prices charged in the paint industry have risen considerably and are difficult to pass on to end customers. Paint shops must therefore bear this increase in prices, and as a result, their financial profit is reduced.

[0017] International patent application WO 2010 / 015925 discloses a tintometric system for the production of screen printing colorants for ceramic products, more particularly tiles, bricks, slabs and the like. The system comprises at least one dispensing station for at least partially filling at least one container containing a pre-established quantity of at least one base product chosen from a list comprising a liquid screen printing base and a neutral powder for liquid screen printing bases.

[0018] US Patent Application Publication US 2005 / 092386 discloses an improved dispensing system for combining multiple liquids and / or slurries of a liquid formulation wherein the multiple liquids include one or more base fluids that constitute a majority of the formulation and that can be dispensed by weight because the exact amount of those base ingredients is not important.

[0019] In view of the above observations, it appears necessary to propose a solution to facilitate the reuse of leftover paints, available in paint shop stocks, in order to prepare future paint mixes. Purpose of the invention

[0020] A first subject of the invention relates to a computer-implemented method for producing a paint of a determined color or shade, comprising the following steps: creating a stock database (15) comprising data of a first type concerning the available base paints (PB(1 )-PB(n)) and data of a second type concerning available tints (PM(1 )-MP(n)), each tint comprising a mixture of at least a first and a second base, selecting a desired determined color; searching, in a descriptive database (11 ), a descriptive formula detailing the composition of said tint, said descriptive formula comprising at least two bases (PB(1 )-PB(n)) and the respective quantity of each base (PB(1)-PB(n)); identifying the quantities of the at least two bases necessary to obtain a determined quantity of said paint;

[0021] - comparing the quantities of the at least two bases (PB(1)-PB(n)) necessary to obtain the determined quantity of the shade with data of the first type and data of the second type; determining a percentage of accuracy with which the determined color can be obtained using at least one shade (MP(1)-MP(n)) with at least one base and / or at least one second shade to obtain a final color; displaying the percentage of accuracy.

[0022] According to one embodiment of the invention, when the percentage of accuracy is equal to 100%, the method comprises a step of preparing the determined color using said at least one shade (MP(1)-MP(n)). According to one embodiment of the invention, when the percentage of accuracy is less than 100%, the method comprises a step of using the control database to determine the value of a control indicator indicating a color deviation between the determined color and said final color and a step of displaying the control indicator.

[0023] According to one embodiment of the invention, the method comprises a step of comparing the value of the control indicator with a determined threshold value and, when the value of the control indicator is lower than the determined threshold value, the method comprises a step of preparing the final color using said at least one shade (MP(1)-MP(n)).

[0024] According to one embodiment of the invention, the step of identifying the quantities of paint of the at least two bases (PB(1)-PB(n)) necessary to obtain said determined color, the step of comparing the quantities of paint identified with data relating to the quantities of shades (MP(1)-MP(n)) available and the step of calculating the percentage of accuracy are carried out using a data processor, such as a computer.

[0025] According to one embodiment of the invention, the step of displaying the calculated accuracy percentage is carried out using a display device, such as a computer screen.

[0026] A second subject of the invention relates to a system for obtaining a paint of a determined color, said system comprising: a descriptive database comprising descriptive formulas, each descriptive formula detailing the composition of a plurality of determined colors and comprising at least two bases (PB(1 )-PB(n)) and the respective quantity of each base (PB(1 )-PB(n)), said database making it possible to identify the quantities of paint of the at least two bases (PB(1 )-PB(n)) necessary to obtain the determined color; a database of stocks comprising data of a first type concerning the available bases (PB(1 )-PB(n)) and data of a second type concerning available shades (MP(1 )-MP(n)), each shade comprising a mixture of at least a first and a second base;

[0027] - a data processor, such as a computer, adapted to compare the quantities of bases (PB(1 )-PB(n)) necessary to obtain a determined color with data relating to the quantities of tints (MP(1 )-MP(n)) available and to calculate the percentage of accuracy with which the determined color can be obtained by using at least one tint (MP(1 )-MP(n)) available and at least one base and / or at least one second tint to obtain a final color.

[0028] According to one embodiment of the invention, the data processor, such as a computer, is provided with an input device for providing instructions to the data processor and a display device, such as a screen.

[0029] A third subject of the invention relates to a computer program product comprising instructions which, when the program is executed by a computer, cause the latter to implement the method mentioned above.

[0030] A fourth subject of the invention relates to a computer-readable medium, said medium comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the latter to implement the steps of the method mentioned above.

[0031] Brief description of the drawings

[0032] The aim, object and characteristics of the invention will appear more clearly on reading the following description made with reference to the figures in which: [Fig. 1] shows a schematic view of a system allowing the mixing of quantities of bases and tints to obtain a determined paint mixture, according to an embodiment of the invention, and;

[0033] [Fig. 2] shows a diagram detailing the steps of the method, according to one embodiment of the invention.

[0034] This description refers to the term "color code." This term refers to the code assigned by a car manufacturer to each paint color used by the manufacturer.

[0035] The term "base" or "base paint" is used in this description. The term base means a standard color supplied by a paint manufacturer.

[0036] The term "formula" is used in this description. This formula is provided by the paint manufacturer and links the bases to the color code. The formula indicates which bases must be used to obtain a color corresponding to the color code, and in what proportion they must be used.

[0037] The term "tint" is used in this description. The term "tint" means a quantity of paint composed of two or more mixed bases.

[0038] The term "final color" is used in this description. This term indicates a color obtained by mixing at least one first shade and at least one base and / or one second shade.

[0039] Figure 1 shows a schematic representation of a system 100 for mixing quantities of bases and tints to obtain a desired color according to the present invention.

[0040] The system 100 comprises a data processor 10, a descriptive database 11, an input device 12, a display device 13, a stock database 14 and a control database 15. The heart of the system 100 according to the invention is formed by the data processor 10 or computer 10, adapted to receive a computer program that can be executed using said computer 10. Within the present description, the term computer generically designates any device capable of executing a computer program.

[0041] The computer 10 comprises the descriptive database 11 or catalog 11 or is connected to another remote computer (not shown) comprising said catalog 11.

[0042] Catalog 11 includes descriptive formulas relating to a plurality of determined color codes. Each determined color code has a corresponding descriptive formula. The descriptive formulas detail the composition of the determined colors by indicating a combination of different quantities of base PB(1 )-PB(n), necessary to obtain said determined colors. The bases PB(1 )-PB(n) are paint colors that have not been mixed with other paint colors. In other words, the bases represent the paint colors as supplied by the paint manufacturer. This means that, for each determined color, the different bases PB(1 )-PB(n) and the corresponding quantities necessary to obtain said determined color or shade are detailed in the descriptive formulas. The descriptive formulas include compositions relating to at least two bases PB(1 )-PB(n).

[0043] As shown in Figure 1, the computer 10 is connected to the input device 12 adapted to receive data provided by a user. The input device 12 is, for example, a computer keyboard. Thus, thanks to the input device 12, the user can enter input data comprising the description of a determined shade that he wishes to obtain by indicating the color code. The input data also includes the desired quantity of said determined shade. In practice, the computer 10 can take the form of a mobile device such as a mobile phone or an electronic tablet. In this embodiment, the input device 12 then forms an integral part of the computer 10.

[0044] As shown in Figure 1, the computer 10 is connected to the display device 13. Thus, the computer 10 can transmit resulting data, such as an accuracy coefficient or accuracy percentage detailed below, to said display device 13 so that the user can view the resulting data. The display device 13 is generally the screen of a computer. Alternatively, the display device 13 can be the screen of a mobile phone or a tablet, or any other suitable electronic mobile device.

[0045] As shown in Figure 1, the computer 10 is connected to the inventory database 14 which contains all the data relating to available paint inventories. The inventory database 14 contains data of two different types as detailed below.

[0046] Data of the first type concern information relating to quantities of bases PB(1)-PB(n). The quantities of bases are quantities of paint as received by the user from his paint producer. These quantities can be expressed in units of volume or in units of weight.

[0047] The data of the second type relates to information relating to MP(1)-MP(n) shades obtained after mixing a certain quantity of PB(1)-PB(n) bases, said shades being available as stocks for the user. The MP(1)-MP(n) shades come from paints previously mixed by the user to obtain paints of specific colors. More precisely, the data of the second type comprises an indication of the quantity of said MP(1)-MP(n) shades. These quantities can be expressed in units of volume or in units of weight. The MP(1)-MP(n) shades correspond to the remaining quantities of the paint mixtures previously made by the user of the system 100. The data of the second type also comprises, for each quantity of paint mixture MP(1)-MP(n), an indication of the proportions of the PB(1)-PB(n) bases which compose said MP(1)-MP(n) shade.

[0048] It should be noted that, for the sake of clarity, Figure 1 refers to four quantities of bases PB(1 ), PB(2), PB(3), PB(4). It is obvious that in practice the number of quantities of new paint can be larger or even unlimited. For the sake of clarity, Figure 1 refers to three shades MP(1 ), MP(2), MP(3). It is obvious that in practice the number of quantities of paint mixtures can be larger or even unlimited.

[0049] As shown in the diagram of Figure 2, the method according to the invention comprises steps 210 to 240.

[0050] In the first step 210, the user uses the input device 12 to enter input data comprising indications relating to a determined shade of paint and to a quantity of said determined shade of paint that said user wishes to obtain at the end of the application of the method according to the invention.

[0051] In the second step 220, the computer 10 uses the descriptive database 11 to search for a descriptive formula comprising, on the one hand, the bases necessary for the production of the determined shade and, on the other hand, the quantity of paint required for each base of the descriptive formula considered.

[0052] In the third step 230, the computer 10 compares the quantities of bases determined in step 220 with the second type data present in the inventory database 14. This comparison step allows the computer 10 to determine an accuracy coefficient or level of correspondence which can be expressed in the form of a percentage. The accuracy coefficient indicates whether, among the mixtures of shades MP(1)-MP(n), there exists either an MP(1)-MP(n) shade, or a combination of shades MP(1)-MP(n) made with one or more bases identical to the final result required to obtain the determined color and in the proportions indicated in the mathematical formula generated in step 220. If this is the case, then the accuracy coefficient indicates a value of 100% accuracy or correspondence for the identified MP(1)-MP(n) paint mixture.If no mixture of shades, combined with one or more bases, MP(1)-MP(n) exactly matches the composition of base paints indicated in the mathematical formula generated in step 220, then the accuracy coefficient indicates a value less than 100%.

[0053] In the fourth step 240, the computer 10 transmits to the display device 13 the accuracy coefficient calculated in step 230 as well as the composition of the shade MP(1)-MP(n) identified in step 230 or the combination of mixtures identified in step 230 to display them on said display device 13.

[0054] In a subsequent step (not shown), the user can therefore use the different MP(1)-MP(n) hues identified by the computer 10 in step 230 to prepare the paint of the determined color that he wishes to obtain, and this, thanks to at least a certain quantity of MP(1)-MP(n) hues stored or combined with one or more bases. A part of the quantity of MP(1)-MP(n) hue stored by the user is therefore reusable to allow the user to produce colors according to his needs.

[0055] According to one embodiment of the invention, the user can use the control database 15, connected to the computer 10, in order to control that the coefficient of accuracy or level of correspondence obtained is sufficiently acceptable to prepare the mixture of paint colors aimed at obtaining the desired determined color.

[0056] The control database 15 lists, for each final color prepared by the user, a control indication to indicate to what extent said final color is different from the determined color that the user wishes to obtain. The control database 15 also makes it possible to compare the control indication with a threshold value determined in advance for each determined color. If the value of the control indicator is less than the threshold value, this means that the level of correspondence is acceptable for the determined color concerned.

[0057] In practice, it is possible that, for certain colours, a difference between the paint colour obtained after preparation by the user and the determined paint colour may be visible to the naked eye if the level of correspondence between these two colours is less than, for example, 95%. On the other hand, for other colours, the difference between the paint colour obtained and the determined paint colour is not visible to the naked eye if the level of correspondence between these two colours is greater than, for example, 85%.

[0058] In other words, the control indication of the control database 15 makes it possible to indicate which colors a threshold value of the level of correspondence or coefficient of accuracy must be reached to guarantee an acceptable result on the repainted product. In addition, the control database 15 can also indicate to what extent a correspondence other than 100% can be applied in the case of application of undercoats of paint. In the case where one or more undercoats must be applied, it is entirely possible to envisage a level of correspondence lower than 100%.In this specific case, the user can prepare a paint color, for an undercoat to be applied using a shade or combination of shades, possibly made with one or more bases, generating a sufficient level of correspondence for the use of the final mixture for an undercoat, for example, with respect to the determined color.

[0059] Examples

[0060] In practice, the user can use the system 100 according to the invention as detailed below when he wishes to repaint a part of the body of a motor vehicle produced by a determined car manufacturer with a paint used by said car manufacturer. The user uses the input device 12 of the computer 10 to enter the information relating to the determined color, using the color code of the car manufacturer and the formula of the paint producer, and to the quantity of paint required for said determined color. The computer 10 uses the information stored in the catalog 11, and made available by a paint distributor, to determine the quantities of base paint PB(1)-PB(n) which must be mixed to obtain a final color whose level of correspondence with the determined color is 100%.

[0061] In a next step, the user checks with the aid of the computer 10 whether a specific paint color that he wishes to obtain, and whose desired matching level is 100%, can actually be obtained using one or more MP(1)-MP(n) mixtures. If this is the case, the computer 10 displays on the display device 13 the matching level of 100% and the composition of the MP(1)-MP(n) paint mixture making it possible to obtain said specific color.

[0062] A body shop has the following colors in stock:

[0063] MP 1: 600 ml of blue plus 400 ml of red;

[0064] MP 2: 300 ml of blue plus 700 ml of red

[0065] MP 3: 300 ml of blue plus 300 ml of red.

[0066] 1) The desired color and quantity include the following:

[0067] 800 ml of blue plus 600 ml of red plus 300 ml of white.

[0068] After entering the data, the computer gives the following instructions to obtain the desired color: use the entire volume of MP1 shade and add 2 / 3 of MP3 shade and complete with 300 ml of base white. Accuracy coefficient with the desired final result: 100%.

[0069] This means that to achieve the desired color, the organization can remove 1400 ml of paint from the tint stock and only needs to add 300 ml of new base.

[0070] 2) The desired color and quantity include the following:

[0071] 300 ml of blue plus 800 ml of red After entering the data, the computer gives the following instructions to obtain the desired color: use the entire volume of MP2 tint and complete with 100 ml of basic red. Accuracy coefficient with the desired final result: 100%.

[0072] This means that to achieve the desired color, the organization can remove 1000 ml of paint from the tint stock and only needs to add 100 ml of new base.

[0073] In the case where obtaining a determined color with a correspondence level of a value of 100% is not achievable given the MP(1)-MP(n) shades present in the user's stock, the computer 10 displays on the display device 13 the closest correspondence level to 100% that it is possible to obtain for the final color to be produced, using at least one of the MP(1)-MP(n) shades present in the user's stock. For example, the computer 10 indicates to the user, via the display device 13, that it is possible to obtain a correspondence of 82%, for the final color of the motor vehicle produced by the determined motor vehicle manufacturer, using one or more MP(1)-MP(n) shades, in combination with one or more bases.

[0074] In a next step, the user uses the computer 10 and the control database 15 to determine whether a match level of 82% may be acceptable to obtain a certain quantity of paint of the final color with said match level of 82% with respect to the determined color. Thus, the user can carry out a test by preparing a small quantity of final paint offering a match level of 82% in order to decide whether, by eye, the match level of 82% of the final color with respect to the determined color to be obtained is acceptable. After this test, the user may decide that, for specific reasons, the value of the match level must imperatively be 100%. In this situation, the user may decide to obtain the determined color by using only quantities of bases PB(1)-PB(n).Alternatively, the user may decide to accept using MP(1)-MP(n) hues to obtain a final color whose match level value is 82% when the final color is intended to be applied as an undercoat of paint on the product to be repainted. Thus, the user may, for certain specific tasks, decide that a match level of 82% is sufficient and, therefore, decide to use the final color whose match level value is 82%.

[0075] It is obvious that the user can use the system 100, as described in FIG. 1, to reuse MP(1)-MP(n) shades as often as possible when the user needs to prepare paint mixtures, in order to optimize the use of said MP(1)-MP(n) shades.

[0076] Thus, the reuse of the MP(1)-MP(n) shades by applying the method according to the invention and using the system 100 according to the present invention guarantees financial advantages.

[0077] In addition, the reuse of previously obtained MP(1)-MP(n) shades makes it possible to drastically reduce the quantity of paint required to obtain a given color, which results in a notable advantage for ecology.

[0078] The stored MP(1)-MP(n) shades and those newly obtained using the system 100 for preparing a specific color or a final color may represent stocks intended for one or more users. For example, the system 100 may refer to the quantities of basic paint PB(1)-PB(n) belonging to a user, and to the MP(1)-MP(n) shades of a network of paint shops, said paint shops working together and wishing to pool the stocks of MP(1)-MP(n) shades kept by each paint shop in order to optimize the reuse of said MP(1)-MP(n) shades.

[0079] The control database 15, consultable on the computer 10, can indicate, for each shade MP(1)-MP(n), an acceptable level of correspondence according to the intended end use for the final paints obtained with the method and system according to the invention. For example, a color difference between a determined color and a final color can be judged as being more or less acceptable depending on the type of product to be repainted, such as a house or a motor vehicle.

[0080] It should also be noted that the quantities of MP(1)-MP(n) paint mixtures used differ depending on the type of user of the system 100 according to the present invention. If the system 100 is used by an employee of a paint shop who repaints the bodies of motor vehicles after repair, the quantities of MP(1)-MP(n) tints required are relatively minimal. On the other hand, if the system 100 is used by a user specializing in painting objects with a larger surface area, such as airplanes, using MP(1)-MP(n) tints to apply undercoats allows for significant cost reductions.

[0081] The embodiments described above are given as examples only.

Claims

Claims 1. A computer-implemented method for producing a paint of a determined color or shade, comprising the following steps: creating a stock database (15) comprising data of a first type relating to available base paints (PB(1 )-PB(n)) and data of a second type relating to available tints (PM(1 )-MP(n)), each tint comprising a mixture of at least a first and a second base, selecting a desired determined color; searching, in a descriptive database (11 ), a descriptive formula detailing the composition of said tint, said descriptive formula comprising at least two bases (PB(1 )-PB(n)) and the respective quantity of each base (PB(1)-PB(n)); identifying the quantities of the at least two bases required to obtain a determined quantity of said paint; - comparing the quantities of the at least two bases (PB(1)-PB(n)) necessary to obtain the determined quantity of the shade with data of the first type and data of the second type; determining a percentage of accuracy with which the determined color can be obtained using at least one shade (MP(1)-MP(n)) with at least one base and / or at least one second shade to obtain a final color; displaying the percentage of accuracy.

2. Method according to claim 1, comprising the following steps: - when the percentage of accuracy is equal to 100%, prepare the determined color using said at least one shade (MP(1)-MP(n)).

3. Method according to claim 1, comprising the following steps: when the accuracy percentage is less than 100%, using a control database (16) to determine the value of a control indicator indicating a color deviation between the determined color and said final color; displaying the control indicator.

4. Method according to claim 3, comprising the following steps: comparing the value of the control indicator with a determined threshold value; when the value of the control indicator is lower than the determined threshold value, preparing the final color using said at least one shade (MP(1)-MP(n)).

5. Method according to one of claims 1 to 4, in which the step of identifying the quantities of paint of the at least two bases (PB(1)-PB(n)) necessary to obtain said determined color, the step of comparing the quantities of paint identified with data relating to the quantities of shades (MP(1)-MP(n)) available and the step of calculating the percentage of accuracy are carried out using a data processor (10), such as a computer (10).

6. Method according to one of claims 1 to 4, in which the step of displaying the calculated percentage of accuracy is carried out using a display device (13), such as a computer screen.

7. System (100) for obtaining a paint of a determined color, comprising: a descriptive database (11) comprising descriptive formulas, each descriptive formula detailing the composition of a plurality of determined colors and comprising at least two bases (PB(1)-PB(n)) and the respective quantity of each base (PB(1)-PB(n)), said database (11) making it possible to identify the quantities of paint of the at least two bases (PB(1)-PB(n)) necessary to obtain the determined color; - a stock database (15) comprising data of a first type concerning the available bases (PB(1)-PB(n)) and data of a second type concerning available shades (MP(1)-MP(n)), each shade comprising a mixture of at least a first and a second base; - a data processor (10), such as a computer, adapted to compare the quantities of bases (PB(1 )-PB(n)) necessary to obtain a determined color with data relating to the quantities of the available tints (MP(1 )- MP(n)) and to calculate the percentage of accuracy with which the determined color can be obtained by using at least one available tint (MP(1 )-MP(n)) and at least one base and / or at least one second tint to obtain a final color.

8. System according to claim 7, in which: - the data processor (10), such as a computer, is provided with an input device (12) for providing instructions to the data processor (10) and a display device, such as a screen (13).

9. Computer program product comprising instructions which, when the program is executed by a computer, cause the latter to implement the method according to one of claims 1 to 6.

10. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to implement the steps of the method according to one of claims 1 to 6.

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